Motorcycle ride honors Jonathan Cote

by jmaloni

Fri, Jul 11th 2014 06:25 pm

Jonathon Cote was a U.S. Army veteran from Western New York who was taken
hostage, along with four others, while working as a private security contractor
in Iraq on Nov. 16, 2006. He was held captive/missing for 523 days before his
body was found and flown home to Buffalo on April 28, 2008.

Family and friends have organized a motorcycle ride and fundraising event
in his honor. The sixth annual ride will be Sunday, Aug. 17, to raise money for
an annual $1,000 scholarship for a student of Williamsville North High School
in Jon's memory. Any additional funds will be donated to WNY Heroes in order to
help them serve and support WNY military heroes and families. Over the past
five years, the event has donated $9,500 to WNY Heroes, $3,000 to www.FreedomIsNotFree.com, and
awarded $3,500 in scholarships.

Sign-in for the memorial ride will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in front
of Williamsville North at the horseshoe entrance on Dodge Road, near Cote's
memorial tree and plaque, and will be followed by an informational rider
meeting. The cost is $20 per driver and $10 per passenger. Each person will
receive a lapel pin and vehicle decal for participating, a free meal, and a
pamphlet with information about Cote and the event. The ride leaves the school
at 1 p.m. on a scenic 1.5-hour route that will end about 2:30 p.m. at the De La
Casa restaurant (1437 Ridge Road, Lewiston). All makes and models of
motorcycles are welcome.

Cote's cousins, the Mombrea Brothers Band, will perform. There will be
food, drinks, prize basket raffles, a 50/50 raffle, and silent auctions. This
event grows every year in size with 150 motorcycles participating.